Class

Neighborhood Details

Real Estate Classroom
Neighborhood Details

Topics Listed Are;
~Early Chicago history and its evolution
~A quick walk through chicago neighborhoods
   ~Rogers Park
   ~Edgewater
   ~Uptown

~Early chicago history and its evolution~

EARLY HISTORY:
'Shikaakwa' (meaning wild onion, as some allege, stinking onion) was the name the Native Americans, especially the Miami
tribe gave to this area.   In the mid 18th century, the area was populated by the Potawatomi tribe, who had replaced the Sauk,
Miami, and Fox tribes here. It was a marshy area at the lakefront and a gathering place for many tribes who took advantage
of the region's waterway to meet for trade.

The first permanent non-Native American settler was Jean Baptiste Pointe duSable.   Monsieur de Sable was of mixed African
and European heritage, born in what is today Haiti. When he arrived in the 1770w he married a Potawatomi woman and
founded the first trading post.

Subsequent to the Northwest Indian War, an area that later became part of Chicago was ceded by some the Native Americans
to the military and Fort Dearborn was built at the mouth of the Chicago River. Tensions rose between the Native Americans
and the influx of new settlers, culminating in the Fort Dearborn massacre in 1918. The settlers left the fort and were set upon
several miles down the south coast of the lake and killed. It became clear that the two cultures, so different from one another,
would not co-exist peacefully, and the Potawatomi were forced to cede more land and removed from the area in 1833.

The Town of Chicago was organized on August 12, 1833 with a population of approximately 200, and within seven years the
population had increased to 4,000. On March 4, 1837 the City of Chicago was incorporated. Growth was constant and steps
towards a central national transportation hub began with the completion of Chicago's first railway in 1838, the Galena and
Chicago Union Railroad. In that year the Illinois and Michigan Canal also opened. This allowed steamboats and sailing vessels
plying the Great Lakes to connect with the Mississippi River. As the economy flourished, it drew rural residents to this urban
environment, as well as immigrants from abroad. As an established transportation hub, manufactured goods could be created or
shipped through the area. With the advent of refrigerated railway cars, the meat packing industry settled into Chicago's Union
Stock Yards.

The mid-1850s saw ambitious programs such as the first comprehensive sewerage system. Effects of this are still seen in some
neighborhoods where street levels were actually raised. Because raw sewerage and other pollutants were allowed to flow
directly into Lake Michigan, it was imperative to take action to protect the ever-growing population.   Tunnels were dug to a
distance of two miles out into the lake in order to bring in fresh, unpolluted water. In 1900 another initiative was taken when
the course of the Chicago River was rsversed in conjunction with the construction and improvement of the Illinois and
Michigan Canal and completed with the creation of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal which leads to the Illinois River and,
subsequently, the Mississippi River.

As throughout the rest of the country, there were no building codes or standards for dwellings in the 1800s. The city grew
with no discernible pattern or cohesion. In 1871 tragedy struck! The Great Chicago Fire destroyed one-third of the city and
the entire downtown central business district. Building and further growth were rapid. The first skyscraper was built. During
this period labor unrest was boiling, resulting in tragedies such as the Haymarket Riot. Social problems were being addressed
by activists such as Jane Addams, co-founder of Hull House, to provide programs for new immigrants and the needy. Today,
Hull House stands on the University of Illinois at Chicago campus as a tribute to the school's social work curriculum. The
parks system was created to provide green space and a place for inhabitants to escape crowded living conditions.

In 1893 the Columbian Exposition opened in Chicago at what is now Jackson Park. The exhibition drew 27.5 million visitors.
The legacies of the Exposition are many, including the wonderful open space on the University of Chicago campus--the
Midway Plaisance, the temporary building that now houses the Museum of Science and Industry, and the exquisite Japanese
Island.
If you are a Chicagoan traveling abroad, know that people are going to ask you about 'the gangsters.' During the 1920s the
gangsters and law enforcement battled it out in the streets of Chicago. Prohibition was a catalyst that brought petty criminals to
prominence and the profits from illicit alcohol funded the rise of the type of gangster we see portrayed so often, just as in many
parts of the world the drug trade is doing so today. Many of the drug cartels and street gangs have modeled themselves after
the Mafia. However, all was not negative during this era: newcomers settling in Chicago brought with them jazz, which
became a new musical currency and spread throughout the world.

On the cultural side, institutions of higher learning were flourishing. Armour Tech (the predecessor of the Illinois Institute of
Technology), University of Chicago, and Northwestern University. In December 1942 the first controlled nuclear reaction was
successfully completed on the campus of the University of Chicago as part of the Manhattan Project.

In 1891 Charles Norman Fay, a Chicago businessman, invited Theodore Thomas to found an orchestra in Chicago. The
Chicago Orchestra (later the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) debuted on October 1891 at the Auditorium Theatre. As a side
note, the Auditorium Theatre later fell into disrepair and disuse, but was ultimately rescued, restored, and has become a highly
respected artistic venue reknown for its acoustic excellence. The CSO (as it is affectionately known) is one of the oldest
orchestras in the United States. It now makes its home in Symphony Center. Part of the complex, Orchestra Hall, was
designed by Daniel Burnham and was part of his 'great vision' for our city. In conjunction with the CSO is the Youth
Symphony Orchestra, bringing in young talent for development.
The Civic Opera Company rose from the ashes of a bankrupt Chicago Opera Association. Magnate Samuel Insull took over as
general manager and Mary Garden served as musical director. The company also took over all the assets of the defunct opera
company. Originally (like the Chicago Orchestra) performing in the Auditorium Theatre, the limitation imposed by lack of
backstage space predicated the need to move and Insull recognized the need for a new facility. The Civic Opera House was
built with funding from Insull and Metropolitan Life Insurance. Opening night at the Civic Opera House was November 4,
1929 less than one month after the stock market crash. Due to a dwindling spiral financial environment, the Civic Opera
Company was forced into bankruptcy.
Chicago has become a mecca for dance troupes and off-Broadway type theatres.

Chicago is also known as The Windy City. That name did not come from the prevailing breezes off Lake Michigan, but rather
the loquacity of its politicians.

~A quick walk through chicago neighborhoods~

Starting at the north end along the lakefront, let's review ROGERS PARK.
The Rogers Park area was developed on what once was the convergence of two Native American trails, now known as Rogers
Avenue and Ridge Boulevard, predating modern metropolitan Chicago. The Pottawatomi and various other regional tribes often
settled in Rogers Park from season to season. The name of Indian Boundary Park in Rogers Park reflects this history as does
Pottawattomie Park near Clark Street and Rogers Avenue.

Rogers Park was named after a pioneer settler and developer, Phillip Rogers. Rogers often traded and worked with the local
tribes. Envisioning a future settlement, Rogers eventually purchased the land from the tribes for later development.
Rogers Park was a suburban neighborhood at one time. One still sees some of the exquisite mansions that were popular in the
area. The area's proximity to the lake front and (what was then) Green Bay Trail (now Clark Street) made it an ideal location
for the wealthy attempting to escape the ills of 'urban squalor and overcrowding.' There was green space, and places for
children to play, but yet it was still accessible to those with enterprises in the city.

As public transportation was extended, Rogers Park became a more urban environment, providing housing for many who were
new to the city, although it did retain some of its exclusivity.

Becoming part of Chicago
From 1830 to 1850, waves of immigrants from Luxembourg and Germany came to Rogers Park, where farming was the main
industry. The average price of land at the time was $1.25 an acre ($309/km^2), and the dominant crops were hay, cucumbers
for pickles, and onions. [On April 29, 1878, Rogers Park was incorporated as a village of Illinois governed by six trustees. In
1893, the village was annexed to Chicago.[3] Successive generations brought about vast cultural changes to the former village.
Elite Chicagoans began to move to new planned communities in the suburbs by the 1930s, which ushered in the migration of
German, English, Irish, and Jewish families to Rogers Park. With the settlement of these migrants, their cultural traditions
flourished[]. With the devastation in Europe following World War II, many additional immigrants found their way to Chicago
and Rogers Park. Also, a growing and vibrant Hispanic community has grown along Clark Street.

Most of the neighborhood has for decades been within the 49th Ward of the city of Chicago, and the terms are sometimes used
interchangeably, but, because of gerrymandering, parts of Rogers Park are now within the 48th and 40th wards as well.
Culture and cultural diversity

Rogers Park continued to see demographic changes into the 21st century. The 2000 census data, like those of 1980 and 1990,
showed it to be one of the most diverse communities, if not the most diverse, in the entire country. A robust mix of ethnic
backgrounds with over 80 assorted languages flavor the neighborhood. However, this diversity has been affected by
gentrification of the community. Much of the rental housing that has been converted to condominiums since 2000 formerly
housed racial- and ethnic-minority households. More than 90% of the new homeowners are white households, according to the
Woodstock Institute, a nonprofit advocacy and research organization.[ However, the financial crisis of 2007-2009 hit the area
hard and at present many of the condominiums are unsold or foreclosed.[4] The dominant institution in Rogers Park is Loyola
University Chicago. Historic places of interest include Madonna Della Strada Chapel, the mother church of the Jesuit Province
of Chicago (one of the largest Jesuit provinces). The neighborhood continues to be home to many Jesuit religious-order
institutions. However, modern Rogers Park contains many houses of prayer of different religions and denominations. An
example of the neighborhoods' diversity is the historic Rogers Park Baptist Church.[5] Founded in 1891, this church has services
in three languages every Sunday and is made up of immigrants from 21 countries representing 5 continents.

The presence of so many students and academics from Loyola, Mundelein College (now part of Loyola), and Northwestern
University, just a few miles to the north, has historically lent Rogers Park a high degree of liberalism and tolerance. The
community also has a high Internet presence. In 2007, the Web site outside.in named Rogers Park one of the country's
"bloggiest neighborhoods."[6]

Beaches
Rogers Park is unique in that it is one of the few Chicago neighborhoods that has direct public access to Lake Michigan. Unlike
other Chicago lakefront neighborhoods, nearly every east-west street in Rogers Park has a beach.[7] In addition, many buildings
along Lake Michigan have their own private beaches.

Chicago Public Library, Rogers Park Branch
* Chicago Math and Science Academy
* Chicago Waldorf School
* Field Elementary School
* Gale School
* Jordan Community Elementary School
* Hayt Elementary School
* Kilmer Elementary School
* Loyola University Chicago/Lake Shore Campus
* North Shore School
* PACTT Learning Center
* St. Margaret Mary School
* St. Scholastica Academy
* Sullivan High School
* Swift Elementary Specialty School

North Sheridan corridor by Loyola University

Rogers Park has four elevated ("L") Red Line stations: Howard, Jarvis, Morse, and
Loyola.[8] The Howard Street "L" station, the northernmost Chicago Transit Authority
rail stop in the city proper, has experienced major renovation during 2008 and is a major
transportation hub for the northern Chicago region. Both the Skokie Swift and the Purple
Line (formerly known as the Evanston Express) begin in Rogers Park. In addition to the
above, there are also several bus routes traveling to the Loop and the suburbs. They
consist of the #22 (Clark to Polk), #97 (Old Orchard Shopping Mall/Cook County
Courthouse), #147 (Outer Drive/Congress/Michigan Avenue), #151 (Sheridan Road) and
#N201 (Central/Sherman in Evanston). The Metra commuter railroad Rogers Park
station, at the intersection of Lunt and Ravenswood avenues, is centrally located in the
Rogers Park neighborhood.

Edgewater

Edgewater is a Chicago community area in the far North Side of the City of Chicago, Illinois seven miles north of downtown
Chicago. It is bordered by the neighborhoods of Rogers Park to the north, Uptown to the south, Lincoln Square to the west and
south and West Ridge to the west and north. As one of Chicago's 77 official community areas, Edgewater is bounded by Foster
Avenue on the south, Devon Avenue on the north, Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and Lake Michigan on the east. Edgewater
contains several beaches that residents enjoy in the warm months. Historically, Edgewater was once part of Lake View
Township, an independent suburb which was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889.

Early settlers
Developers began cutting down the dense woods in the area in the late 1880s to make way for future development. In 1885,
Edgewater was given its name by its builder, John Lewis Cochran. He built the first residential subdivision in the area. After a
few years, Edgewater was celebrated as a wonder as it became "the only electric lighted suburb adjacent to Chicago".

The turn of the century
In the early 1900s, Edgewater was regarded as one of Chicago's most prestigious communities. A prominent symbol of
Edgewater's affluence was the Edgewater Beach Hotel, which opened in 1916 at 5349 N. Sheridan. The famed pink hotel was
demolished in 1968, though the remaining pink Edgewater Beach Apartments building is still a landmark at the north tip of Lake
Shore Drive. The Edgewater building boom peaked in 1926 and property values reached their height in 1928. The burgeoning
affluent population grew so much that developers expanded Edgewater and renamed a portion of the neighborhood community
Uptown (which still exists today).

Revival
Uptown's population declined in the 1950s as Chicago's suburbs were developed and opened, absorbing Chicago's middle and
upper classes. With the flight of residents came disrepair and high crime rates for what once was one of the most affluent districts
of Chicago.
In the 1980s, the Chicago Board of Aldermen and local business owners orchestrated a revival for the Edgewater community.
Edgewater seceded from the Uptown community and once again called itself its own community. New businesses were brought
into the community, old buildings were refurbished and homes touched up to harken back to Edgewater's past.

Gay and Lesbian Community

At the time of the 2000 United States Census the proportion of single-sex couples in Edgewater was 6.6% in the 60660 zip code
and 8.0% in the 60640 zip code.[2] This compares with the US national average of 1.1%.[3] Edgewater is home to the
Gerber/Hart Library, the largest gay and lesbian library and archives in the Midwestern United States.[4]

Kathy Osterman Beach (named after a former alderman but more commonly referred to as Hollywood Beach, referencing
Hollywood Ave. where it is situated) is a hugely popular hangout for gay men during the summer months.

International community

Historic Church of the Atonement is home to the Anglican faithful of
Edgewater.

The highrise condominiums that line Sheridan Rd. and the Lake were
known to have large numbers of retired and elderly persons, many living on
fixed incomes. The prices have been more affordable than Lake Shore
Drive addresses farther south. Meanwhile, Kenmore and Winthrop streets a
couple blocks west suffered in mixed conditions of poverty and crime that
were a far cry from their prior prestige. Recognizing the value of lakefront
living and access to the Red Line elevated train, an influx of new residents
arrived. Many of Edgewater's new residents are from Africa and the former
Yugoslavia. The area has a great density of Bosnian, Serb and Croat
residents. These people, troubled by civil war and tough conditions in their
homeland, have been encouraged to settle in the area. The city is known for
accepting new, thriving enclaves of ethnicities in centuries past. This new
settlement of Europeans is a modern revival of that tradition.

Edgewater is also home to a large African community. Ethnic Ethiopians,
newly independent Eritreans, and Nigerians live and socialize in Edgewater.
Walk the streets of Edgewater and one will mix with women in traditional
African dress and grandmothers strolling with their grandchildren while the
middle generation is out making a living in the new world of Chicago.

Native Americans, former Yugoslavians, Africans of every part, young
hipsters, new parents, first-time homeowners, students and many more
make their home in Edgewater.

Devon Avenue marks the northern boundary of Edgewater. Devon reflects
the ethnic diversity of the Rogers Park community.

Andersonville

Andersonville is a neighborhood (located in the Edgewater community area) on the North Side of Chicago, about five miles (8
km) north-northwest of the city's downtown. Once a sleepy little village made up primarily of Swedish immigrants, Andersonville
is now one of Chicago's most popular north side neighborhoods. The community is particularly known for its diversity, including
a continued Swedish cultural presence led by the Swedish American Museum, the Swedish Bakery and other Swedish
delicatessens.[5] a significant number of Middle-Eastern businesses, a new influx of families with children, and a large lesbian,
gay, bisexual and trans-gender (LGBT) population all makes this a very diverse population. The LGBT community of
Andersonville was showcased in the 1994 lesbian themed movie Go Fish. It is also known for its unique commercial district,
made up almost entirely of locally owned, independent shops, restaurants, and service providers. Andersonville does however
have a growing number of nationally known chains including a Starbucks Coffee, McDonald's, and a recently opened Subway
restaurant.

The approximate street boundaries of Andersonville, as defined by the City of Chicago, are Winthrop Avenue to the east,
Ravenswood Avenue to the west, Foster Avenue to the south, and Bryn Mawr Avenue to the north. The heart of the
Andersonville commercial district is the corner of Clark Street and Berwyn Avenue (5300 N. Clark Street).

The main shopping street is North Clark Street, which runs roughly north-south. The stretch of Clark Street south of Foster
Avenue (where Andersonville has expanded across community boundaries into northern Uptown) is sometimes called South
Foster, or SoFo. Some maps show the entire stretch between Foster and Lawrence as Andersonville Terrace; although this name
is seldom used by residents, realtors have recently started using it again for the area as far south as Argyle Street, in an attempt to
capitalize on Andersonville's popularity.

As reported in the Chicago Reader, in 2006 merchants along North Clark Street have seen significant increases in commercial
property taxes, causing these independent shops to struggle. Though the residential property taxes have risen in the area, they
have not skyrocketed like the commercial district in downtown Andersonville.

History Andersonville's roots as a community extend well back into the 19th century, when immigrant Swedish farmers started
moving north into what was then a distant suburb of Chicago. In the 1850's the area north of Foster and east of Clark was a large
cherry orchard, and families had only begun to move into the fringes of what is now Andersonville. The neighborhood's first
school, the Andersonville School, was built in 1854 at the corner of those two thoroughfares, and served as the area's primary
school until 1908. After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, wooden homes were outlawed in Chicago. Swedish immigrants, who
could not afford to build homes of stone or brick, began to move outside of the city's northern limits. Swedish immigrants
continued to arrive in Andersonville through the beginning of the 20th century, settling in the newly built homes surrounding
Clark Street. Before long, the entire commercial strip was dominated by Swedish businesses, from delis to hardware stores, shoe
stores to blacksmiths, and bakeries to realty companies. The local churches, such as Ebenezer Lutheran Church, Bethany
Methodist Episcopal Church, and St. Gregory's Roman Catholic Church, were also built by Swedes, and reflected the religious
diversity of the new arrivals.

Like most other European-American ethnic groups, Swedes began to move to the suburbs during the Depression and post-war
periods, and the neighborhood began to decline. Concerned about the deteriorating commercial situation, the Uptown Clark Street
Business Association renewed its commitment to its Swedish heritage by renaming itself the Andersonville Chamber of
Commerce. On October 17, 1964 Andersonville was rededicated in a ceremony attended by Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley
and Illinois Governor Otto Kerner. At about the same time, the annual Swedish tradition of celebrating the summer solstice
blossomed into Midsommarfest, which has since grown into one of Chicago's largest and most popular street festivals.

While some of the Swedish-owned businesses gave way to stores and restaurants owned by Koreans, Lebanese, and Mexicans,
many remained in Andersonville, serving the remaining second- and third-generation Swedes as well as the new arrivals to the
neighborhood. In 1976, a Swedish American Museum that had been on the drawing boards for fifty years was opened to the
public in a ceremony attended by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. It later moved into larger quarters at 5211 N. Clark, where it
remains today.
In the late 1980's, Andersonville began a period of revival as professionals rediscovered its lovely housing stock and proximity to
downtown Chicago and the lakefront. A large lesbian and gay population developed, spurred by the opening of such businesses as
Women & Children First, a bookstore focusing on feminist authors and topics. New gift shops and ethnic eateries opened up and
gave Clark Street a new commercial vitality and diversity.

Today, in addition to being one of the most concentrated areas of Swedish culture in the United States, Andersonville is home to
a diverse assortment of devoted residents and businesses, including one of Chicago's largest gay and lesbian communities, a large
collection of Middle Eastern restaurants and bakeries, and a thriving Hispanic commercial area north of Catalpa Avenue.
Andersonville is now considered one of Chicago's "hot" neighborhoods. It also enjoys nationwide renown for its unique
commercial district, comprised almost entirely of locally owned, independent businesses. In 2004, an economic study of
Andersonville was reported in newspapers across the globe. It demonstrated what Andersonville locals have known for a long
time: that the locally owned businesses are a crucial part of Andersonville's vitality and quality of life, returning far more to the
community in economic benefits and neighborhood involvement than would non-local businesses. Communities everywhere now
look to emulate Andersonville as a model of a thriving urban neighborhood.

Edgewater Glen
Edgewater Glen is located just north of the Andersonville neighborhood. Exact boundaries are somewhat unclear but according to
one source include Granville Ave. to the north, Broadway Ave. to the east, Hollywood/Ridge Ave. to the south, and
Clark/Ashland St. to the west. A local community organization called Edgewater Glen Association, which is recognized by the
Edgewater Community Council, has boundaries of Granville (north) and Broadway (east) and Norwood (south) and
Clark/Ashland (west).[6]

Sheridan Road
Sheridan Road, which follows the lakefront in Edgewater is the main thoroughfare for traffic to/from Lake Shore Drive. Lake
Shore Drive ends at Hollywood Avenue where all traffic is routed onto either Hollywood or Sheridan Road.
North of Ardmore Avenue (5800 N) to Devon Avenue (6400 N) there are 4 lake front parks, Osterman Beach, George Lane
park, Berger Park, and a newly unnamed park just south of Granville (6200 N) between the Tiara & El Lago condo towers, this
park will eventually be used to access the lakefront park system upon (eventual) expansion north from the current park terminus
at Ardmore. There is also a new park on the South West corner of Thorndale and Sheridan. This portion of Sheridan Road is a
beautiful section of high-rise residential buildings lining both sides of the street including Hollywood Towers, 6030 N Sheridan,
The Malibu, Malibu East, Eastpoint Tower, The Tiara, El Lago, Granville Beach, Granville Tower, Shoreline Towers, Sheridan
Shores Condominiums and Sheridan Point. Most of these towers were built in the late 1950s to early 1970s. TV's Bob and Emily
Hartley of The Bob Newhart Show called this area home, residing in the Thorndale Beach North Condominiums, 5901 N.
Sheridan Road.

There are a handful of mansions still remaining on Sheridan Road, remnants of the 1880s to 1920s north Chicago wealth. Many
of the original mansions that once lined Sheridan Road were razed to make way for the high-rise buildings that exist today. A few
notable exceptions are in Berger Park and Sacred Heart School at Sheridan and Granville Avenue, as well as two belonging to
Loyola University on the southern-most portion of their campus along Sheridan Road between Rosemont and West Sheridan
Road, a short westerly bound extension of Sheridan Road between Lake Michigan and North Broadway Avenue.

See also
* Edgewater Presbyterian Church
* Epworth United Methodist Church
* St. Ita's Church

References
1. ^ "Chicago Neighborhoods ranked by density 1980-2000". Wendell Cox - Demographia. 2001-06-19.
http://www.demographia.com/db-chi-nhd2000dens80.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-30.

2. ^ "Gayest zip codes in Illinois". gaydemographics.org.
http://www.gaydemographics.org/USA/states/illinois/2000Census_state_il_zipcode.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-30.

3. ^ "2000 Census information on Gay and Lesbian Couples, by zip code". gaydemographics.org.
http://www.gaydemographics.org/USA/2000Census_Gay_zipcode.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-30.

4. ^ "The Illinois Department of Human Rights commemorates LGBT Pride Month". Illinois Department of Human Rights.
2006-06-19. http://www.state.il.us/dhr/news_rel/GLBT_06.doc. Retrieved 2006-08-09.

5. ^ http://www.falconliving.com/andersonville-real-estate.php

6. ^ "Chicago Neighborhood Details: Edgewater Glen". http://www.chicagohome.com/NHDetails.cfm?NH_ID=16. Retrieved
2008-03-24.

External links
* Official City of Chicago Edgewater Community Map
* Andersonville Chamber of Commerce
* Edgewater Chamber of Commerce
* Edgewater Community Council
* Edgewater Development Corporation
* Edgewater Historical Society

Uptown

The historical, cultural, and commercial center of Uptown is Broadway, with Uptown Square at the center. In 1900, the
Northwestern Elevated Railroad constructed its terminal near Montrose and Broadway (now part of the CTA Red Line).
Uptown became a summer resort town for downtown dwellers, and derived its name from the Uptown Store, which was the
commercial center for the community.[2] For a time, all northbound trains from downtown ended in Uptown. From here
Uptown became known as an entertainment destination. Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson and other early film stars produced
films at the Essanay Studios on Argyle Street. The Aragon Ballroom, Riviera Theater, Uptown Theatre, and Green Mill Jazz
Club are all located within a half block of Lawrence and Broadway. Uptown is also home to one of Chicago's most celebrated
final resting spots, Graceland Cemetery.

The Uptown neighborhood boundary once extended farther to the North, to Hollywood Avenue.[3] Beginning at the turn of the
20th Century, just after the World's Columbian Exposition, the entire area had experienced a housing construction boom. In the
mid 1920's, construction of large and luxurious entertainment venues resulted in many of the ornate and historic Uptown Square
buildings which exist today. The craftsmanship and artistry of those Uptown Square buildings reflects the ornate pavilions of the
Exposition.
For over a century, Uptown has been a popular Chicago entertainment district, which played a significant role in ushering in the
Gilded Age, the Lyceum Movement, the jazz age, the silent film era, the swing era, the big band era, the rock and roll era, has
been a filming location for over 480 movies, has ties to significant spectator sport athletes and organizations, including the
Chicago Blackhawks and three Olympic figure skaters, as well as theater, comedy clubs, dance performers who later became
nationally-famous, and even "The People's Music School," a needs-based, tuition-free music school for formal classical music
training.

By the 1950s, the middle class was leaving Uptown for more distant suburbs, as commuter rail and elevated train lines were
extended. Uptown's housing stock was aging, and old mansions were subdivided. Residential hotels which had housed wives of
sailors attached to the Great Lakes Naval Station during World War II now served low-income migrants from the South and
Appalachia. Uptown developed a reputation as "Hillbilly Heaven" during the 1950s and 1960s. The Council of the Southern
Mountains, headquartered in Berea, Kentucky launched the Chicago Southern Center in 1963 in Uptown, with help from
Chicago philanthropist W. Clement Stone.[4] Chicago's anti-poverty program opened the Montrose Urban Progress Center.
Students for a Democratic Society initiated a community organizing project, JOIN (Jobs or Income Now) in 1963.[5] Large-scale
urban renewal projects like Harry S. Truman College eliminated much low-cost housing, and the low-income Southern white
residents dispersed. New waves of Asian, Hispanic, and African-American migrants moved into the remaining neighborhoods.

Most recently, since 2000, gentrification has spread north from neighboring Lakeview and south from Edgewater. Median condo
prices jumped 69.1% from 2000-2005. In addition, the white population has jumped 10% since 2000 with the black population
falling 12%.[6]

The Saint Ita Catholic Church bell
tower has long been used by
community residents and businesses
as the symbol of Edgewater on
signage and other media.

Edgewater Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods comprising Uptown in the City of Chicago

Buena Park
Buena Park is a neighborhood bounded by Montrose Avenue, Irving Park Road, Graceland Cemetery and Lake Shore Drive.
The core of the neighborhood is very suburban with driveways and spacious lots. It is in sharp contrast to the skyscrapers that
populate the area around it. It can be accessed from the Sheridan stop on the CTA's Red Line.

Buena Park enjoys one of the most active neighborhood organizations in the city of Chicago, Buena Park Neighbors (BPN).
Founded in 1997, Buena Park Neighbors is a 46th Ward neighborhood association of more than 200 residents, businesses, and
not-for-profit organizations in the nationally registered Buena Park Historic District.

Today,many people assume that Buena Park is a "new name" given to this part of Uptown by developers trying to give the area
a better name (like those trying to call Humboldt Park "West Bucktown"). In reality Robert A. Waller developed Buena Park
starting in 1887 by subdividing his property. The original Waller home is now the site of St. Mary of the Lake church (built in
1917). Buena Park pre-dates the remainder of Uptown by a number of years.

"The Delectable Ballad of the Waller Lot" by Chicago poet Eugene Field:
Up yonder in Buena Park There is a famous spot, In legend and in history (Known as) the Waller lot.

Sheridan Park
Sheridan Park is a neighborhood bounded by Lawrence Avenue on the north, Clark on the west, Montrose on the south and
Broadway on the east. It is mostly residential, containing six-flats, single family homes, and courtyard apartment buildings. There
is a growing business district along Wilson Avenue, which bisects Sheridan Park from Broadway to Clark. Truman College, one
of the City Colleges of Chicago, is also located in Sheridan Park. The neighborhood can be accessed from either the Wilson or
Lawrence stop on the CTA's Red Line.
In 1985, the Sheridan Park Historic District (a National Landmark District) was established to protect the unique single family
and smaller multi-family architecture of the area. Some structures of Uptown Square were also added as contributing structures.
In 2007, the Sheridan Park area along Dover Street was also registered as an historic district. Many of the homes along Dover
are large single family homes from the early 1900's.

Little Vietnam
This neighborhood is mostly populated by residents who had Vietnamese and Cambodian nationality. However, many, if not
most, were from ethnic Chinese minorities and, for that reason, became refugees during the Sino-Vietnamese war of the late
1970s. In the span of a few city blocks, Little Vietnam boasts half a dozen Asian grocery stores as well as more than a dozen
Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian, and Chinese restaurants. The neighborhood should not be confused with Old Chinatown, which is in
the Armour Square community area on the South Side of the city.

A noteworthy minority within a minority on Argyle are the Bui Doi, those of mixed Vietnamese and American ancestry. Children
of mixed unions had often suffered from discrimination in Vietnam, partly because of hostility to the US armed forces and partly
because the women (the unions were almost always of Vietnamese women and American men) were seen as prostitutes. The
most discriminated against were those of African American-Vietnamese parents. Uptown was a welcome relief for those who
struggled with this oppression.
The neighborhood is centered by the Argyle stop on the CTA's Red Line.

Margate Park
Margate Park forms the eastern border of Uptown and Edgewater, nested between the recently revitalized strip of new
construction on Sheridan Rd. and the pleasantries of the Lincoln Park northern reaches. Its tree-lined streets, historic mansions,
and gilded mid-rises reflect the area's development in the bustle of Uptown Chicago's burgeoning entertainment industry in the
early 1900s. The diverse housing also includes ornate, terra-cotta clad hotels, immortalized in movies as Chicago Gangster Era
apartment hotels. Some of these 1920's Jazz Age hotels have been since been converted to SROs in the area to provide
transitional and supportive housing, adding to the tremendously diverse population of the area.

This lakefront neighborhood is home to Margate Fieldhouse, a gym and fitness facility. The area around the fieldhouse is an
official off-leash area in the city for dogs. Annual city permits are required for dogs using the areas.
The fieldhouse is also host to the Margate Playground, with 1,400 square feet (130 m2) of playspace for children. Artists Jim
Brenner, Corinne D. Peterson, Ginny Sykes, and Roman Villareal created a unique space reflecting the urban locale catering to
children's interests and local fauna.

Andersonville Terrace (North Uptown)
This area of Uptown has been identified as many different names over the years. Its borders are Lawrence to the south,
Broadway to the East, Clark to the west, and Foster to the north. Andersonville Terrace, or SOFO (South of Foster) are names
often given to the area by those who wish to identify more closely with the part of the neighborhood that borders Andersonville.
However, the area is rich in Uptown history, claiming Essanay Studios, The Green Mill, a 1930s US Post Office, and the
Uptown Theater as major landmarks.

Aragon Ballroom (http://www.aragon.com/)
The Aragon Ballroom is still a very popular music venue. During the 1920s and 1930s, most of the nation's well-known jazz
groups played the Aragon. Live radio broadcasts from the Aragon helped promote the Aragon's entertainers throughout the
Midwest and beyond. Hotels quickly sprang up in the Uptown area, and it became a mecca for young adults who visited Chicago
to dance to the Big Bands of the 1940s and 1950s. Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Duke
Ellington, Lawrence Welk, Guy Lombardo, Wayne King and other famous bandleaders often played there. In decades to follow,
a very diverse selection of "big name" groups have performed, including The Rolling Stones, U2, The Smiths, The Doors, Snoop
Dogg, Green Day, The Kinks, The Smashing Pumpkins, Dr. John, Grateful Dead, B.B. King, Uriah Heep, Metalica, Tommy
Bolin, Black Sabbath, The Clash, Tangerine Dream, Slayer, Motorhead, Nirvana, and many others.

The Aragon Ballroom is located at the intersection of Lawrence and Winthrop Avenues, just adjacent to the Lawrence Red Line
'L' stop.

Green Mill Jazz Club (http://www.greenmilljazz.com/gallery/)
The Green Mill Jazz Club is on the site of a much bigger Green Mill
Gardens complex, which was an outdoor music gardens fashioned after
The Moulin Rouge Gardens in Paris. It was a sunken gardens area,
surrounded by a wall and featured nightly entertainment during the
summer months. It also featured a dining room which was later
converted to the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge during construction of the
Uptown Theatre on the former site of the outdoor music gardens. The
club was once owned by "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn, a right-hand
man of Al Capone, who was a regular patron at The Green Mill. The
1957 movie The Joker Is Wild is based on the life of a regular
performer at the Green Mill, Joe E. Lewis. Starring Frank Sinatra, the
movie is the story about how Lewis tried to leave his gig at the Green
Mill and was attacked and left for dead in his apartment. Lewis
survived and continued his successful career in California. The Green
Mill Jazz Club still hosts top jazz performers and a weekly Poetry
Slam. Marc Smith, who is credited for developing the Poetry Slam, still
hosts the weekly events at the Green Mill.
The Green Mill is located at the intersection of Lawrence and
Broadway, also accessible by the Red Line at the Lawrence stop.

Parks, Beaches and Boating

Montrose Harbor
Chicago's Lincoln Park straddles Uptown, providing
soccer and athletic fields, a segment of the Chicago
lakefront bicycle/running path, Montrose Point Bird
Sanctuary ("The Magic Hedge"), a sledding hill, Puptown
Dog Park, Wilson Skatepark and Waveland (Marovitz)
Golf Course to the south. Also in the Uptown portion of
Lincoln Park is Montrose Beach, which includes a dog
beach at its northern edge,[9] and Montrose Harbor, a
marina for local and transient boaters and home to the
Chicago Corinthian Yacht Club.[10]

Two separate parks, which may be considered inland
extensions of the lakefront Lincoln Park, are located just
west of Lake Shore Drive. Named Clarendon Park and
Margate Park, each feature athletic fields, children's
playgrounds and indoor sports facilities.[11][12] Chase
Park, located on the west side of Clark Street at Leland
Avenue, has indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, as well
as an outdoor pool and tennis courts

Hospitals
* Chicago Lakeshore Hospital
* Thorek Hospital and Medical Center
* Weiss Memorial Hospital
* U.S. Public Health Hospital

Schools
* American Islamic College
* Uplift School
* Brenneman Elementary School
* Disney Elementary Magnet School
* Goudy Elementary School
* John T. McCutcheon Elementary School
* Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary School
* St. Augustine College
* St. Mary of the Lake Elementary School
* St. Thomas of Canterbury Elementary School
* Stewart Elementary School
* Stockton Elementary School
* Truman College

Controversy
In 2008 a group of residents sued the City of Chicago over its designation of the Wilson Yards lot as a TIF district.[14][15][16]

References and notes
1. ^ "Map of Uptown". City of Chicago.
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_ATTACH/Community_Areas_UPTOWN.pdf. Retrieved
2008-08-23.
2. ^ Stacewicz and McNeill, "Uptown" (1990)
3. ^ Seligman, Amanda (2004). "Uptown". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Museum.
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1293.html. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
4. ^ Roger Guy, From Diversity to Unity (Lexington Books, 2007).
5. ^ Todd Gitlin and Nanci Hollander, Uptown (Harper & Row, 1970)
6. ^ "5 pockets stand out in city makeover" (http://www.bluesmatters.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1981).
7. ^ Swanson, Lorraine. "Uptown Theatre a done deal". Chicago Journal.
http://chicagojournal.com/Main.asp?SectionID=49&SubSectionID=142&ArticleID=5678. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
8. ^ Newmann, Scott A. (2000). "Rainbo Gardens". Jazz Age Chicago: Urban Leisure from 1893 to 1945. Scott A. Newman.
http://chicago.urban-history.org/ven/dhs/rainbo.shtml. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
9. ^ "Montrose Beach". Chicago park District.
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/104111fc-b720-4d02-9a20-5be33757c46e.cfm.
Retrieved 2008-08-23.
10. ^ "Montrose Harbor". Chicago Harbors. Westrec Marinas. http://www.chicagoharbors.info/harbors/montrose.php.
Retrieved 2008-08-23.
11. ^ "Margate Park". Chicago park District.
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/113EA16D-083F-4A6A-861B-B242C5CFF498.
cfm. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
12. ^ "Clarendon Park Community Center". Chicago park District.
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/D5C67FAC-E0B3-4AF0-A761-7EC70B24AE5
A.cfm. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
13. ^ "Chase Park". Chicago park District.
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/BBBC1DDA-D725-4C13-A9A2-72A22A8E6C2
3.cfm. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
14. ^ "Fix Wilson Yard". http://www.fixwilsonyard.org/. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
15. ^ Joravsky, Ben (2008-12-11). "The Right Fight". The Chicago Reader.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/theworks/081211/. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
16. ^ "Chicago Residents Sue City Over Alleged Misuse of TIF Funds". Chicago Public Radio. 2008-12-04.
http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=30568. Retrieved 2009-01-08.
[edit] Bibliography
* Balaban, David (2006). The Chicago Movie Palaces of Balaban and Katz. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738539864.
Â· Gitlin, Todd; Hollander, Nanci (1970). Uptown: Poor Whites in Chicago. Evanston: Harper & Row. OCLC 96088.
* Guy, Roger (2007). From Diversity to Unity: Southern and Appalachian Migrants to Chicago, 1950-1970. Lanham, MD:
Lexington Books. ISBN 0739118331.
* Stacewicz, Richard; McNeill, Robert (1995). "Uptown". Local community fact bookÂ : Chicago metropolitan area, 1990.
Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago. ISBN 0914091603.

Lakeview
History
Settlement
Lake View was used as a camp and trail path for the Miami, Ottawa, and Winnebago Native American tribes. In 1837, Conrad
Sulzer of Winterthur, Zurich, Switzerland, became the first white settler to live in the area. In 1853, one of the first permanent
structures was built by James Rees and Elisha Hundley on the corner where present-day West Byron Street (or West Sheridan
Road) meets North Lake Shore Drive and was called the Hotel Lake View, named for the hotel's unobstructed view of the shore
of Lake Michigan.[2] It gained what was characterized as a resort atmosphere.

The early settlement continued to grow, especially because of increased immigration of farming families from Germany,
Luxembourg and Sweden.[2] Lake View experienced a population boom as Chicago suffered a deadly and devastating cholera
outbreak. The Hotel Lake View served as refuge for many Chicagoans but became filled to capacity. Homestead lands were sold
and housing was built. Access to the new community was provided by a wooden plank road connected to present-day West
Fullerton Parkway, which was called Lake View Plank Road and is the present-day North Broadway. With infrastructure and
growing population, residents realized it was time to organize formal governance to provide essential public services.

Lake View, or Lakeview, as it is increasingly spelled, is a North Side neighborhood of the City of Chicago, Illinois, in the United
States. It is designated as Community Area 6 of 77 well-defined Chicago community areas. It is bordered by West Diversey
Parkway on the south, West Irving Park Road on the north, North Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and the shore of Lake
Michigan on the east. The Uptown community area is to Lake View's north, Lincoln Square to its northwest, North Center to its
west and Lincoln Park to its south. The 2000 population of Lake View was 94,817 residents, making it the second largest of the
Chicago community areas by population, following Austin which has 117,527 residents. Lake View, though, has a higher
population density than the larger (area-wise) Austin neighborhood.
While actual territorial limits and colloquial names are not definite depending on local sources and usage, Lake View is
unofficially divided into smaller neighborhood enclaves: Lakeview East, West Lakeview and Wrigleyville. Lakeview East (more
commonly just Lakeview) forms the area popularly known as Boystown. It holds the distinction of comprising the first gay
village to be officially recognized as such by a civic body in the United States.[1] New Town is a formerly-used community
name designating the area centered at the intersection of North Clark Street and West Diversey Parkway. The Nort Halsted
Merchants Association is centered on the North Halsted Street strip between West Belmont Avenue and West Grace Street and
is the dominant merchants association in Lake View.
Lake View is most recognized nationwide as home to Wrigley Field and its Chicago Cubs. Neighboring the field is one of the
most famous gay villages in North America. Held on the last Sunday of each June, the Chicago Pride Parade, one of the largest
gay pride parades in the nation, takes place in Lake View. The community area has also been host to several other major events:
In 2006 it played host to an international sports and cultural festival, Gay Games VII, with its closing ceremonies held at Wrigley
Field and headlined by Cyndi Lauper.

Also according to the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce,[3] Lake View became an incorporated Illinois civil township with a
charter granted by the Illinois General Assembly, independent of neighboring Chicago. Lake View's first township election was
held in 1857. The main building was Town Hall on the intersection of present-day West Addison and North Halsted streets. A
building still bearing that name stands today as the headquarters of the Chicago Police Department's 23rd District. Lake View
Township includes land east of North Western Avenue, between West Devon Avenue and West Diversey Parkway, generally
encompassing the community areas of Edgewater, Uptown, and Lake View.
During the Civil War, the present-day bustling intersection of North Broadway, North Clark Street and West Diversey Parkway
was home to Camp Fry. When the camp opened in May 1864, it served as a training facility for the volunteer 132nd and 134th
Illinois Infantry regiments. Shortly after their deployment to Columbus, Kentucky, the camp was converted to a prison for
Confederate soldiers, where conditions were markedly different from those of many other prisoner-of-war camps. The few
residents of the area known as Lake View Township often complained of rebel sing-alongs held in the camp from time to time.
Lake View's early industry was farming, especially crops of celery, and at the time it was considered a celery-growing capital.
From 1870 to 1887 the population of the township grew from 2,000 citizens to 45,000. As a result, there was growing need of
more public-service access, and Lake View was absorbed into Chicago in 1889 as a way of meeting those demands.[4] In 1889,
a real estate boom became a major economic stimulant. According to the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce, over forty
percent of the neighborhood's present-day buildings were constructed during that time.

Streets
Lake View street names have great historic importance. West Addison Street was named after 18th-century publisher Joseph
Addison of The Spectator. West Barry Avenue was named after the commander of the Continental Navy ship Lexington during
the Revolutionary War, John Barry. West Belmont Avenue was named after the American Civil War's Battle of Belmont on
November 7, 1861, in Mississippi County, Missouri. North Broadway, which used to be called Evanston Avenue after the
nearby municipality of Evanston, Illinois, was renamed after Broadway in New York City. North Clark Street was named after
the legendary frontier explorer George Rogers Clark. West Diversey Parkway was named after beer brewer Michael Diversey.
William Butler Ogden, the first mayor of Chicago, named North Halsted Street after financiers William H. and Caleb Halsted. It
was formerly called Dyer Street, in honor of Thomas Dyer, mayor of Chicago. West Irving Park Road was named after the
author Washington Irving.[5]
Philip Sheridan features prominently on the corner of West Belmont Avenue and North Lake Shore Drive, memorialized as a
towering statue depicting Sheridan on horseback. The U.S. Army general is the namesake of North Sheridan Road. In 1871 he
brought troops to Chicago in the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire and was authorized by Mayor Joseph Medill to take control
of the city under martial law. He was later made commanding general of the U.S. Army by President Chester A. Arthur.

Facing inland on a tract of Lincoln Park land overlooking the intersection of North Lake Shore Drive and West Addison Street is
a totem pole of Kwanusila, the Thunderbird of the Kwagu'Å‚ Amerindian tribe. A plaque below the totem pole reads:
Kwanusila the Thunderbird, is an authentic Kwagu'Å‚ totem pole, carved in Red Cedar by Tony Hunt of Fort Rupert, British
Columbia. The crests carved upon the totem pole represent Kwanusila the Thunderbird, a whale with a man on its back, and a
sea monster. Many people do not realize that totem poles were only regionally used by Amerindians along the coastal areas of
British Columbia. Kwanusila is an exact replica of the original Kraft Lincoln Park totem pole, which was donated to the City of
Chicago by James L. Kraft on June 20, 1929, and which stood on the spot until October 9, 1985. It was discovered some years
before the pole was moved, that a pole of this type did not exist in the types at the Provincial British Columbia Museum located
in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Arrangements were made for a duplicate of the Chicago original to be made by the same Amerindian
tribe that made the original. A request was made and approved by the Chicago Park District for the original totem pole which
existed here to be presented back to British Columbia. Kwanusila is dedicated to the school children of Chicago, and was
presented to the City of Chicago by Kraft, Inc. on May 21, 1986.
The totem pole is highlighted on Chicago city maps as a place of interest, visited by residents and tourists alike.

Many are unaware of the fact that what is now a jogging path through the park, part of which hugs the shore of Belmont Harbor,
used to be a bridle path. There were four stables in the area that used the park. Urban development, increases in traffic
patterns, and skyrocketing liability all played a role in the closing of these tables. In fact, the totem pole was the turn-around
point for experienced riders on a one-hour ride in the park.

Communities

Lakeview East
Lakeview East is territorially defined by its chamber of commerce as the area between North Clark Street and North Halsted
Street to the west, West Grace Street to the north and West Diversey Parkway to the south, bounded by North Lake Shore
Drive to the east. The entire Lakeview East area is often considered colloquially as Boystown, the pre-eminent gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender community of Chicago. Some Lakeview East streets are decorated with rainbow flags indicative of that
population.
Lakeview East, especially along the Lake Shore Drive and Broadway corridors, consists of upscale condominiums and higher-
rent mid-rise apartments and lofts. Small businesses, boutiques, restaurants and community institutions are found along North
Broadway and North Halsted Street.
Gentrification, diversification and population shift have changed Lake View, with many businesses expanding northward of West
Belmont Avenue. Larger businesses such as Borders, Whole Foods and World Market are moving into the neighborhood, and
enclosed shopping centers such as Century Shopping Centre have been created. Another shopping center has included such
tenants as Linens 'n Things, Marshalls and Designer Shoe Warehouse.

Historic churches remain preserved as integral parts of the community, such as Lake View Presbyterian Church and Saint Peter's
Episcopal Church. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is the residence of an episcopal vicar and auxiliary bishop of the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.[28] It is also the mother church of the local vicariate and the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian
Outreach, controversially created by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, which is one of the largest of the few gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender Catholic welcoming congregations created and authorized by a diocese in the United States.[29]
Two residential neighborhood organizations are included in the Lakeview East area. Belmont Harbor Neighbors comprises the
area bounded by West Belmont Avenue, North Halsted Street, West Addison Street, and Lake Michigan. South East Lake View
Neighbors encompasses the area bounded by West Diversey Parkway, North Halsted Street, West Belmont Avenue, and Lake
Michigan.

North Halsted
North Halsted, also called Northalsted by its business association, is a smaller area within the Lakeview East boundaries,
bordering the adjacent Wrigleyville enclave. While Boystown has been used as a colloquial name for all of Lakeview East, some
reserve the name for the more specific area along North Halsted Street. It holds the distinction of being the nation's first officially
recognized gay village. In 1998, Mayor Richard M. Daley endeavored to create a $3.2 million restoration of the North Halsted
Street corridor, and the city erected rainbow pylon landmarks along the route.[1] North Halsted caters to Chicago nightlife,
featuring more than 60 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender bars, restaurants and nightclubs. The North Halsted area is now
home to Center on Halsted (a GLBT community center).

West Lakeview
West Lakeview, a part of which is sometimes called North Lakeview, is located along the border of the Roscoe Village
community area. West Lakeview Neighbors, a residential organization, defines West Lakeview as the area bounded by West
Addison Street on the north, West Belmont Avenue on the south, North Southport Avenue on the east and North Ravenswood
Avenue on the west.[30] Affordable real estate and popular culture, such as that found along busy Southport Avenue, draws
young adults from all over the city for quiet living or casual dining. A historic destination that opened on August 22, 1929, is the
Music Box Theatre, which once showed silent films during the height of that medium's popularity, accompanied by a live
organist.[31] The theater brands itself today as "Chicago's year-round film festival"[32] and has recently hosted a national
Hollywood movie premiere for The Breakup starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.[33]

Wrigleyville
Formerly a working-class neighborhood, Wrigleyville is the neighborhood directly surrounding Wrigley Field along North Clark
and West Addison streets. Actual boundaries are undefined, with some sources citing Wrigleyville as spilling into adjacent
enclaves such as Lakeview East and North Halsted. Wrigleyville features low-rise brick buildings and houses, some with rooftop
bleachers colloquially called Wrigley Rooftops where people can purchase seats to watch baseball games without having to pay
Major League Baseball ticket prices. Proprietors are able to do so under special agreements with the Chicago Cubs organization.

While the bars and restaurants in Lakeview East (especially along North Halsted Street) usually feature gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender culture, Wrigleyville bars and restaurants (particularly on North Clark Street) feature the sports culture with sports-
oriented themes, and some mix the LBGT and sports themes. Bars such as Sluggers, Hi-Tops (closed in 2006-location is now as
Harry Caray's Tavern), Cubby Bear and Barleycorn host the Cubs crowds near the Wrigley Field intersection of North Clark
Street and West Addison Street. Las MaÃ±anitas, a gay Mexican restaurant, is located on North Halsted Street just two blocks
away from the park. This area has been a staging ground for a number of Hollywood movies. In addition, the area's Irish
American roots are evident with Irish pub themes. While the specialty drink in trendy Lakeview East bars might be a custom-
made cocktail, beer by the pitcher is much more heavily advertised in Wrigleyville establishments.

Transportation
Because parking is at a premium in the area, public transportation is a must. Lakeview is well served by both trains and buses.
A majority of Lake View's public transportation needs are met by the Chicago Transit Authority, which provides resident and
visitor access to the Red Line, Purple Line and Brown Line services of the Chicago Elevated railway rapid transit. The two
major Lake View rapid-transit hubs are Addison Station and Belmont Station, which is now handicapped accessible.
The Chicago Transit Authority also operates numerous bus routes in Lake View, the busiest being those running along North
Lake Shore Drive with express services to downtown Chicago, including the Loop, via North Michigan Avenue and its
Magnificent Mile. Bus routes entering and leaving Lake View include those designated as 8 Halsted, 9 Ashland, 22 Clark, 36
Broadway, 77 Belmont, 134 Stockton/LaSalle Express, 135 Clarendon/Michigan Express, 136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express, 143
Stockton/Michigan Express, 144 Marine/Michigan Express, 145 Wilson/Michigan Express, 146 Inner Drive Express, 147 Outer
Drive Express, 148 Clarendon/Michigan Express, 151 Sheridan, 152 Addison, 154 Wrigley Field Express and 156 LaSalle.[25]

Private entities also offer many transportation services. I-GO and Zipcar have several locations in Lake View. Private companies
offer trolley and bus services to certain destinations in the city from Lake View. Taxi and limousine services are plentiful in the
Lake View area, as well as non-traditional modes of transportation. Bicycle rickshaws can be found especially near Wrigley Field.
Bike paths are also available on some major streets. For those who prefer to walk or run, manicured walking and running paths
are found throughout the community area, with a special path designed for Chicago Marathon training along the lakefront.

The Chicago Marathon training path curves around the Belmont Harbor marina, belonging to the Chicago Park District and
managed by contracted companies. There are ten transient slips, several stalls, and finger dock, star dock, and other mooring
facilities[26] where boats and yachts can be kept.[27] It is the home of the Belmont Yacht Club.

Events
A major portion of the Bank of America (formerly LaSalle Bank) Chicago Marathon, one of the largest road races in the world,
takes place along the northern end of Lakeview East. The marathon packs spectators onto the sidewalks of Lake View to cheer
race competitors. Lake View's stretch of North Lake Shore Drive is also the turnaround point for the annual Bike the Drive
noncompetitive bicycle event.
Every November, the Central Lake View Merchants Associaition (CLMA) hosts "How Lake View Looks", Lake View's premier
runway fashion show. Featuring Lake View merchants showing off their most fabulous fashions, hairstyles, and latest make-up
trends. The show is designed to celebrate how businesses and residents bring the wonderful eclectic styles of Lake View to life.
The "How Lake View Looks" Runway Fashion Show is an annual CLMA event, held at the world famous Cubby Bear (1059
W. Addison).
Lake View hosts many art events. Each spring, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce supports gallery tour groups, taking
participants through several area art galleries. September brings visitors to the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts on North
Broadway between West Belmont Avenue and West Roscoe Street. More than 150 juried artists exhibit their works along with
live entertainment, fine food and a variety of performers.

Paramount among Lake View's events, drawing the largest crowds, is the annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade held on the last
Sunday of each June along North Broadway, North Halsted Street, and West Diversey Parkway. In addition, for one weekend
each August, the North Halsted Street corridor is closed off to automobile traffic for Northalsted Market Days, a popular street
fair featuring nationally prominent bands and other entertainment. Food and merchandise booths line the temporary pedestrian
thoroughfare.
Lake View hosts a solemn vigil and march each October, gathering at the intersection of West Roscoe and North Halsted streets,
in honor of gay martyr Matthew Shepard.[34] Each year at the Matthew Shepard March Against Anti-Gay Hate, participants
focus on several activist themes. In the past, they have marched against hate crimes and anti-gay social policy or have offered
support for gay youth. As the event reflects its socially liberal agendas, political organizations such as the Green Party and
Democratic Party have shown an increased presence. Socially liberal Republicans also participate to a smaller degree.
Small but popular Lake View events take place throughout the year. Each July, the Lakeview Garden Walk takes visitors on
trolley tours and walks throughout the neighborhood to over eighty garden exhibits.[35] Each exhibit is prepared and presented
by individual residents of Lake View. Once an event that focused on West Lakeview gardens, the exhibits now span the entire
Lake View area. Families with children are drawn to Nettelhorst Elementary School on Easter weekend for an egg hunt and visit
with the Easter bunny. They return on Halloween weekend for a costume parade and story-telling.

Major Events in Lakeview
Month Event Location
Spring Art View in Lake View Various
May Bike the Drive North Lake Shore Drive
May Wellington-Oakdale Old Glory Marching Society Memorial Day Parade West Wellington & North Pine Grove avenues
June Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest On Sheffield between Belmont and School Streets - Central Lake View
June Chicago Gay Pride Month Various
June Chicago Gay Pride Parade North Broadway at North Halsted Street
July LVCC Lake View Music Fest West Addison Street and North Sheffield Avenue
July Lake View Garage Sale Belmont and Clark Streets - Central Lake View
August Northalsted Market Days North Halsted Street
August Rhythm of the Night Variety Show Addison Street - Central Lake View
September Wellington-Oakdale Old Glory Marching Society Labor Day Parade West Wellington & North Pine Grove avenues
September Lakeview East Festival of the Arts North Broadway at West Belmont Avenue
October Matthew Shepard March Against Anti-Gay Hate West Roscoe Street at North Halsted Street
October Bank of America Chicago Marathon North Lake Shore Drive, North Broadway
October Halloween Parade North Halsted Street
October Halloween Kids Nettelhorst Elementary School
November How Lake View Looks Runway Fashion Show Addison Street- Central Lake View

Places of interest
General
* Century Shopping Centre
* Chicago Public Library - Lincoln-Belmont Branch

Theatres
* Athenaeum Theatre
* Briar Street Theatre
* Lakeshore Theatre
* The i.O. Theater (formerly the ImprovOlympic)
* Live Bait Theatre
* Stage Left Theatre
* TimeLine Theater
* Playground Theatre
* ComedySportz
* Chemically Imbalanced Theatre

Music venues
* Metro Chicago
* Vic Theatre

Lake View Presbyterian Church serves the Presbyterian community.
Temple Sholom at North Lake Shore Drive and West Cornelia Avenue is a historic Jewish place of worship.
The landmark Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church serves as mother church of the Archdiocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach.
Century Shopping Centre, converted from a movie theater in Lakeview East, is the largest retail center in the neighborhood.

It is the 23rd District Chicago Police headquarters.
Lake View Lutheran Church serves the Lutheran community.
The Chicago Gay Pride Parade is held each June.
Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce advertises itself as home of Gay Games VII.

North Clark Street at West Aldine Avenue. The popular Italian restaurant Mia Francesca can be seen at the left side.
Looking across Belmont Harbor toward North Lake Shore Drive and West Belmont Avenue.

Uptown Entertainment District
Historically a very popular tourist destination, the Uptown Entertainment District is home to various music venues, nightclubs,
restaurants and shops. The Uptown Entertainment District is now experiencing a revival, with new restaurants and shops
opening every year. Uptown Square, at the center of the Uptown Entertainment District, was designated as a National Historic
District on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Uptown is also a stop for Chicago Gangster tours, with many
locations tied to infamous gangsters such as John Dillinger, Al Capone, Machine Gun Jack McGurn, Roger "The Terrible"
Touhy and others.

The Annoyance Theatre (from their website; http://www.annoyanceproductions.com)
"On September 10, 1987, a group of us were sitting around a table at an Italian restaurant talking about slasher films. As the
discourse pursued, we got the crazy idea of producing a blood show for Halloween, which was a few weeks away. We set our
goal for the opening at October 10, exactly one month ahead to the day. In the next frantic four weeks, we pulled a show out of
thin air. We created makeshift beats for the show, more or less a parody of contemporary gory horror films, learned about stage
blood, and created and 'perfected' our effects. Through improvisation, we honed the beats and developed the characters.
Borrowing from Alfred Hitchcock, our stage blood consisted of chocolate syrup, water, and red food coloring. We created
different consistencies for different effects. Some of the stage effects included a nun getting drilled in the back of the head, a
bimbo getting her tongue ripped out, and a policeman having his intestines removed. With a freshly painted white set, Splatter
Theatre opened on October 10th, 1987. After a chilling original song performed by a night club singer character, several deaths
turning the white set blood red, a real meat puppet intermezzi, and many laughs, Splatter Theater received a standing ovation.
Nobody knew at the time that we were launching The Annoyance Theatre. We were just doing a show. As a matter of fact,
annoyance wasn't the name for us yet. We called ourselves Metraform. 'Metra' because we were performing a long form at a
theatre on the fourth floor of a great music club called The Cabaret Metro, and 'form' because we were performing other
various original improv forms at another venue. It wasnâ€™t until we formally rented a space in 1989 that we came up with
The Annoyance. Metraform didn't seem like a very compelling name for a subversive comedy theatre, so a few friends and a
bottle of tequila yielded The Annoyance, but at the time just as the name of the theatre itself, with Metraform being our
company name. As The Annoyance became The Annoyance, Metraform went away.

Uptown Theatre
The Uptown Theatre is a large, ornate movie palace
with almost 4,500 seats. The largest in Chicago, this
architectural gem is on several Landmark Registers.
The Uptown Theatre was designed by famous movie
palace architects, Rapp and Rapp, who also designed
the Chicago Theatre in the Chicago Loop. It was
managed by the Balaban and Katz Company.
The Uptown Theatre is currently closed and in a state
of decay, but efforts have been made by Friends of
the Uptown and other local groups to halt
deterioration, restore and reopen the theater. Progress
was stymied for years by various legal issues,
including disputes by multiple mortgage holders and
city liens. However, on August 18, 2008, the Uptown
Theatre was sold to Jam Productions Ltd, a
Chicago-based music promoter.[7] Jam Productions
plans to restore the building and will seek
development funds from the City of Chicago to help
with this effort.

A 2006 documentary, Uptown: Portrait of a Palace,
shows the interior of the theatre. It is also featured on
the cover of the book The Chicago Movie Palaces of
Balaban and Katz by David Balaban.

Riviera Theater
The Riviera Theater, also a popular music venue, was once a Jazz Age
movie palace which featured live jazz performances with the movies. In
the 1970s, the seats were removed on the main floor and it was
converted to a concert venue.

New Chinatown at the Argyle Red Line stop
Argyle Street, from Sheridan to Broadway and spilling onto
Broadway, features an exceptional selection of Chinese,
Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian, French Vietnamese and Cambodian
ethnic restaurants and bakeries. There are also many Asian
groceries, shops and trading companies that sell unique Asian
merchandise. This area is locally called by many different names,
including New Chinatown, North Chinatown, Little Chinatown,
Little Saigon, New Saigon, Little Cambodia, Vietnamese Town
or Little Vietnam. The surrounding neighborhood, which has
attracted Asian immigrants and refugees for the past several
decades, is a unique and popular tourist destination. It is easily
reached by the Argyle stop on the Red Line "El."

Argyle Street Asian restaurants and shops

One block east of the Argyle "El" stop, at the corner of Argyle and Winthrop is The Roots of Argyle mural, a
community-produced masterwork depicting 100 years of immigration and daily life on Argyle Street. The over 100Â ft (30Â m).
painting was designed by community members and painted by world famous muralist Br. Mark Elder and his mural students
from DePaul University.

The Rainbo
The Rainbo, at 4812 N. Clark, was purchased in 2002 and torn down to make way for a new condo and townhouse
development. At one point, however, it was a very popular outdoor music garden, fashioned after the Moulin Rouge Gardens in
Paris, which is the original namesake for what was then called "Moulin Rouge Gardens."[8]

Investors bought the Moulin Rouge Gardens property and spent one-million dollars to expand the facility. Opened in 1921,
Mann's Million Dollar Rainbo Room, named after Fred Mann's wartime service in the U.S. Army's 42nd Infantry or "Rainbow"
Division, was said to be the largest nightclub in America, featuring some of the biggest names in Vaudeville and musical
entertainment. Larry Fine (actor) was performing there the night he was asked to join The Three Stooges. The Rainbo Room
had a revolving stage to allow for continuous entertainment. There was table seating for 2,000 patrons and space on the dance
floor for an additional 1,500. WMAQ radio, which was then WQJ and owned by the Rainbo and Calumet Baking Powder
Company, broadcasted music of the Rainbo's performers as a form of promotion.

In 1927, during prohibition, it was converted to a major casino and sports venue, called the Rainbo Fronton.
In 1934, during the Chicago World's Fair (A Century of Progress), it became French Casino. The French Casino is where John
Dillinger spent his birthday, June 22, 1934, a month before he was shot.

In 1939, it became Mike Todd's Theater Cafe, which was a popular dinner theater. Tommy Sutton, the Theater Cafe's
choreographer, went on to work with Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Nat King Cole, among others. It was also a venue for
Championship Wrestling where, in 1955, the first women's tag team wrestling match was held.

In 1957, The Theater Cafe was converted to an ice skating rink, called Rainbo Arena, which was a practice rink for the Chicago
Blackhawks including the year they won the 1961 Stanley Cup. The Rainbo Arena was also a training rink for several Olympic
figure skaters, housed a pro bowling alley and the original Kinetic Playground music venue.

In the 1960s and thereafter, The Rainbo was a popular late night roller rink until it was torn down for a new housing
development called Rainbo Village.

Arcadia Ballroom
The Arcadia Ballroom, at 4444 N. Broadway was one of the first Dance Halls in Chicago. Promoter Paddy Harmon, who later
developed Dreamland Ballroom and the Chicago Stadium, found that black jazz bands were popular with the Arcadia Ballroom
late night crowds. It was one of the few places on the north side of Chicago which would book black jazz bands in the 1920s
and 1930s, the other being the Green Mill Jazz Club. "Prior to being destroyed by fire in the 1950s, this venue functioned under
the name Arcadia Gardens Roller Skating Rink, with live organ music and a sparkling ball fixture on the ceiling that threw out
rays of light into the darkness during dance numbers."

5100 Club
The 5100 Club, at 5100 N. Broadway Avenue, was a nightclub that hosted comedy performances before the advent of
television. One regular headliner was Danny Thomas, who was discovered there by the head of the William Morris Agency.
Danny would later go on to star in movies and in "Make Room For Daddy," one of the longest running sitcoms in American
Television history. His daughter, Marlo Thomas, who is married to Phil Donahue, was the star of the Television series, That
Girl.

Paulette Bezazian

Chicago Lincoln Square
2156 W Montrose Chicago,
IL 60618

Questions? Comments?
Email me:
thebezaz@gmail.com
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